Demand for hydrogen in relation to fuel cells and energy is expected to reach $14 billion by 2014. Demand for hydrogen is increasing at about 10% per year and will likely increase as more and more companies move towards renewable energy generation such as, for example, in hydrogen fuel cell processes. High quality hydrogen is necessary for these processes, and current platinum catalysts simply do not meet the needs economically.
Molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) monolayers, with a direct bandgap of 1.8 eV, offer an unprecedented prospect of miniaturizing semiconductor science and technology down to a truly atomic scale. However, there is no way that is able to produce uniform, and high-quality monolayer or few-layer MoS2 in a wafer-scale.
Progress is needed toward developing competitive materials to reduce the cost of current, expensive catalysts. A sustainable and economical solution to hydrogen production is needed.